Dakar 2014

[kober]

Especially, that quads take air time away from T2s and T3s, which are not mentioned at all, and they used to be covered, if I recall correctly.

I watched Eurosport's coverage of the day after I wrote this, and guess what? Yes, they had a small feature on #366 T3 buggy, and they even mentioned the leaders of T2 class - #344 Gibon/Miura (who were leading after day five).

Also, have you noticed that T3s don't carry "visibility flags" any more?

My mistake - they still carry those.

[vino_93]

Well like each year Gibon vs Mitsuhashi in T2, with Foj here

For me quad should not be with bikes. That's quite different things. Let the time to the category to find his leaders ... but this with Patronelli there's an open race, and that's one of most interesting battle. Casale, Lafuente, Sonik and Husseini are really fighting.
And I think in the year coming Abu-Issa could become an interesting contender.


@Mirek : do you know anything about new Tatra of Ardavichus ? It seems quite bad truck

[Rod Richardson]

Well, they’re at the halfway point in the rally but the dnf rate has been ridiculously high.
DNF % at halfway point:-
Bikes 57.6%
Quads 64.6%
Cars 84%
Trucks 31.5%

As far as I am concerned whoever set the stages should be penalized by spending a week with my former mother-in-law.

[Mirek]

@Mirek : do you know anything about new Tatra of Ardavichus ? It seems quite bad truck

It's a brand new truck from Bonver team (last year Kolomý drove with that team and finished 4th overall). It has a powerful Gyrtech Buggyra engine such as Kolomý, all Bonver Tatras and also both KM Liaz's. As far as I know his problem is a loooot of technical and other issues (at one of first legs he broke a fuel tank and now in most of the stages he runs far behind many slower trucks and cars which he has to overtake). I don't know how much testing Bonver did but generally most of Czech trucks went to this year's Dakar with very little testing. That's unfortunately very clear from the reports of their never-ending problems...

Rod Richardson: I don't know how others but our competitors mostly welcomed the tougher and longer route (it was claimed by the organizers in advance). Maybe now they regret I don't know...

[A FONDO]

Well, they’re at the halfway point in the rally but the dnf rate has been ridiculously high.
DNF % at halfway point:-
Bikes 57.6%
Quads 64.6%
Cars 84%
Trucks 31.5%

As far as I am concerned whoever set the stages should be penalized by spending a week with my former mother-in-law.

No, it means finishing dakar is really a notable achievement, even id you are not on the podium.
for everything else, there is bicycle tour-de-something

[Mirek]

First Dakar photos from Petr Lusk

http://www.ewrc.cz/ewrc/fotogalery.php? ... fotograf=2

This one is wow

http://www.ewrc.cz/images/2014/photos/r ... plu_25.jpg

[vino_93]

@Mirek : do you know anything about new Tatra of Ardavichus ? It seems quite bad truck

It's a brand new truck from Bonver team (last year Kolomý drove with that team and finished 4th overall). It has a powerful Gyrtech Buggyra engine such as Kolomý, all Bonver Tatras and also both KM Liaz's. As far as I know his problem is a loooot of technical and other issues (at one of first legs he broke a fuel tank and now in most of the stages he runs far behind many slower trucks and cars which he has to overtake). I don't know how much testing Bonver did but generally most of Czech trucks went to this year's Dakar with very little testing. That's unfortunately very clear from the reports of their never-ending problems...

Rod Richardson: I don't know how others but our competitors mostly welcomed the tougher and longer route (it was claimed by the organizers in advance). Maybe now they regret I don't know...

thx you very much ! You are our truck master

Crazy picture of the Liaz

[dimviii]

[Mirek]

I wonder what is the fast emergency used for in Kamaz team. Sotnikov again on charge attacking the first place It's also interesting that they decided to give the assistance function to a driver who won Silk Way Rally...

By the way I found that the new-look Kamaz trucks are equipped with Swiss Liebherr engines.

[Zeakiwi]

I thought the new diesel engines for Kamaz was Austrian Liebherr.
http://www.russkiymir.ru/russkiymir/en/ ... 11877.html